1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for manufacturing electric masks using a color scanner and an apparatus for use therein intended to make separation plates while cutting out electric masks, in the process of scanning a color original picture by means of a color separation scanning optical system and photoelectrically scanning on the input drum of the color scanner for recording the color separation plates of said original picture based on the output signal thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The process of cutting out masks while photoelectrically scanning the original picture by means of a conventional TV camera, solid image pickup element or the like was disclosed as a method of solidly painting within the electric mask and magnifying as, for example, "Image scanning and recording method having a retouch function" (the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Sho. No. 58-211155; hereinafter referred to as Japanese Publication A) and "Method and apparatus of image scanning and recording having a retouch function (the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Sho. No. 58-211154; hereinafter referred to as Japanese Publication B), and furthermore in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Sho. No. 58-37647 entitled "Electric mask manufacturing method" (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Publication C), a method of reproducing a contour signal simultaneously, when scanning the original picture, making or preparing electric masks by using color monitor, overlaying on the picture signal by using this electric mask image, and reproducing only the inside of the electric mask on the recording film as the image was proposed.
However, in said Japanese Publications A and B, since the electric masks are manufactured from the image obtained by TV camera, it was extremely difficult in practical use to match the position between the electric mask and the output image depending on the origin position of the image when the original picture is adhered on the input drum, the angle to the drum when adhered or the deviation of original picture sheet itself.
In said Japanese Publication C, on the other hand, since it is intended to generate the contour signals serving as the basis of the electric masks simultaneously when scanning the original picture, the electric mask and the output image are matched accurately, but since all the scanned image signals are written into a large capacity recording medium such as a memory disk and electric masks are manufactured at a separate layout operation unit aside from the scanner operation unit, it was difficult to deliver (or output) the image in the electric mask easily onto a recording film.